


(Extra)Ordinary

by blackbird



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-05-24
Updated: 2005-05-24
Packaged: 2017-10-16 03:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/168102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackbird/pseuds/blackbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's what passes for normal these days.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Extra)Ordinary

Outside, the wind was howling and the crack of a tree branch woke her from a dead sleep. She sat up and took a few deep breaths, trying to will her heartbeat to slow down. Kicking off the heavy quilt, she wasn't surprised to see she was alone in bed.

The bedroom door was standing open but the hall beyond it was dark. Sliding out of bed, she pulled a thick robe on over her nightgown. The house was mostly perfect, but the heating left something to be desired. She cast a warming spell on her feet and started softly out of the room.

She didn't bother with the light; she knew every inch of the place by heart. When they'd been here the first time she had paced up and down this hall until there was a distinct path worn into the wood. He'd been in the other bedroom then, the one she turned into her office when they moved in permanently two years ago. Even though she'd stripped it of everything that had been there before, he rarely went in. He swore he could smell the blood and sickness, as if it was embedded into the floorboards and no amount of scouring spells or potion ingredients could mask it.

Rain was lashing against the windows and she cast a reinforcement spell on each one as she made her way through the kitchen. There was a teakettle on the stove, a bit of steam still trickling out from the spout. The burner was already off and she didn't see any broken cups in the sink. That was good. It meant he had some warning.

Magic, she'd found, was a very tricky thing. While at its core it worked the same for everyone, the way it manifested and performed was based more on the individual. When the person was altered dramatically, either physically or emotionally, so was their magic. And that's when they had two choices – learn to control it or let it consume you.

When she got to the back door, she touched the handle experimentally. The metal was warm to the touch, but not dangerously so. She slid her wand into her sleeve and pushed the door open carefully.

He was standing on the porch in black cotton pants, a thin, white t-shirt and bare feet. His hair was brushing the nape of his neck, a little too long for her taste, but it didn't stop her from wanting to reach out and run her fingers through it. It was just light enough to see the livid red scars snaking down his wand arm to a hand that was gripping the railing in front of him so hard his knuckles were white, the other clenched in a fist at his side.

"Bad dream?" she asked, not moving from the doorway. She learned the hard way not to startle him during an episode. One broken collarbone was enough for a lifetime, thank you very much. His shoulders tensed at her voice, but he didn't turn around.

"Yes, very. I tried the potion first, but it didn't help," he answered, his voice harsh and raw. "I felt it coming this time. It was like, I don't know...like the air around me changed. The only other time I really felt that was..." he broke off.

"Was that night, I know," she said softly. That part she remembered too, the electric current in the air as the four of them began the spell to channel their magic into Harry for the final battle. It was an intricate spell and a dangerous one too, using Ron, Ginny, Draco, and herself as magical batteries to amplify Harry's powers. When she'd found it, she knew it was what they'd been searching for – the key to defeating Voldemort and ending a long and bloody war.

What she hadn't fully realized were the consequences. When Harry performed the Killing Curse and Voldemort crumpled to the ground, the backlash was like the snap of a very taunt rubber band. Because of the nature of their wands, all of Tom Riddle's power was pulled into Harry and sent back out to the four of them. The force hit them like a ton of bricks, and her last thoughts before she blacked out were of him. When she woke up here, the war was over, and they were two of the most powerful wizards on the planet.

"But you made it outside this time, which is a sight better than I did," she said, approaching him slowly. In front of her, the storm was beginning to slow down, the rain slowing and the wind calming. She slipped her hand over his fist, working it loose and lacing his fingers in hers. His skin was hot and she could feel the magic pulsing out in time to his heartbeat. It was almost over, for now.

"Yes, do try next time," he said with only a hint of a smirk, "Those windows are very costly to keep replacing every time you get angry with me."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, I can think very little else I'd like to spend your father's ill-gotten gains on," Hermione replied. Beside her, he sucked in a deep breath and sagged against the wooden railing as the rain finally petered out to a fine mist. This was a short one, less than an hour, she thought. Using their joined hands, he tugged her closer so they were pressed side to side.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he said as he rested his head on hers. "I know how tired you've been lately."

"I don't care about that. Really, you should have woken me. I am supposed to track all this, you know. Part of how earn my Ministry galleons," she said, turning to kiss him on the cheek.

Draco snorted out a laugh. "And to think, I thought they were paying to you mind a supercharged, overly-noble, ex-Death Eater turned spy."

"Didn't you hear? I volunteered for that duty," she replied with a smile. "You know, all these freak spring storms are going to start bringing out those daft weather watchers again."

"Do you think? I did enjoy chasing them around with those tiny cloud bursts," he said, flicking his wand out and creating one in front of them. Immediately she tensed, waiting to feel his skin tingle again, but nothing came. He must have drained it off well this time.

"That was terrible, you know that. Probably traumatized them for life," she scolded as she started to led him back inside.

He closed and locked the door behind them, setting the wards in place. "Served them right for coming here like that, uninvited and bothering me all hours of the day and night," he replied. "Besides, it felt nice to cause a little mayhem. I don't get to do it very often anymore."

"Yes, I feel just terrible about that," she said shrugging off her robe and tossing on a chair. He was rearranging the blankets as she climbed into bed. Settling on her side, she felt him curl up behind her.

"Sometimes, I still think you're a know-it-all pain in the arse," he said, his breath tickling the back of her neck.

"That's perfectly understandable. I still think you're a slimy ferret on occasion, so we're even," she answered with smile. "Goodnight, love."

"G'night, Hermione," he whispered. And with a calm wind outside, they both drifted back to sleep.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://lisbef.livejournal.com/profile)[**lisbef**](http://lisbef.livejournal.com/) and the Spring Forward [](http://community.livejournal.com/dmhgficexchange/profile)[**dmhgficexchange**](http://community.livejournal.com/dmhgficexchange/). The challenge requirements were something dramatic with sad weather. Thanks to [](http://retyped.livejournal.com/profile)[**retyped**](http://retyped.livejournal.com/) for betaing.


End file.
